


A Butterfly or a Car

by HobbitsofMordor



Series: Brothers Extras [5]
Category: The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE, Duke's Pre-Katie Life, During Movie, Flashbacks, Movie Spoilers, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 10:19:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7887454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HobbitsofMordor/pseuds/HobbitsofMordor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Duke tells Max about his old owner. Max and Duke dialogue taken directly from movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Duke

**Author's Note:**

> I just got back, and apparently literally nothing happened while I was gone... Well, this is a scene from the movie in Duke POV with added flashbacks. Chapter 2 will be Max POV of the events from the sausage factory to the climax.

Aw, man! This place was so great! I'm so full!

"Y'know, this might just be the sausage talking," Max tells me from my side. "But you're alright!"

"Right back at you man!" I start. "When I first met you I was like: 'I don't know if I like him', but now that I  _know_ you I'm like: 'I like him!'"

From the corner of my eyes I can see him grin, and nod in agreement.

"You know," I continue. "I saw this place, from the outside, many times! Had I known what treasures awaited within these walls, I would have broke down that door a long time ago, I tell ya!"

"What are you talking about?" Max asks, confused.

"My old owner and I used to live around here!"

"Duke, did you used to have an owner?"

"Well, it was, uh, it was a long time ago... I don't wanna talk about it."

"Yes, you do! Come on!"

"I dunno... D'ya know what? He was so cool..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah... He was the best!"

_I hope someone comes and adopts me soon..._

_Suddenly, the door opens. I begin to hop around, and look at the new customer. It's_ _an old man._

_I run over to where he stands, and he picks me up._

_"Well, look at you!"_

_"Hello, sir!" One of the workers says. "What can I do for you?"_

_"I'd like to purchas this puppy."_

_"Right away, sir!"_

"Man, we had fun!" I tell Max. "We played fetch!"

_Fred just brought me to this cool park!_

_Suddenly, I trip over my own feet, but I quickly get back up._

_"Alright, Duke!" Fred calls. "Fetch!"_

_I look at the stick for a few seconds before running and jumping on him._

_He chuckles._

"We'd go for walks!"

_Wow! What's all this white stuff? It's cold!_

_"Slow down, Duke!"_

_I slow down for a few seconds before speeding up again._

_"Duke!"_

"We'd take naps! We're both big nappers..."

_"Alright, Duke. Time for me to get some shut eye."_

_I hop on his lap._

_"Oof! Well, guess we're both catching some Z's."_

"I got out one night...chasing a butterfly, or a car..."

_Whoa! That looks so cool!_

_It also looks delicious!_

_I hop off of Fred's lap and exit through the window._

_I'll eat it and be back before he even notices I'm gone!_

"By the time I'd caught up with it, and ate it..." I mutter.

"Probably a butterfly, then." Max butts in.

"...I realized I was so far away from my home, I couldn't find it!"

_Well, this isn't good..._

_That butterfly or car tasted terrible!_

_And I have no idea where I am!_

_"Don't panic, Duke." I tell myself. "Fred will find you!"_

"Few days later, I was picked up by animal control..."

_"Hey, you see that?" A voice says from the road._

_"Yeah! Big brown dog! Kinda hard to miss!"_

_Suddenly, I find myself fighting against a man with a pole around my neck._

_I'm thrown in the back of a truck, and put in a cage._

"Oh... I had a great thing going..." I sigh. "But I had to go and mess it up."

"Duke!" Max barks, tail wagging. "We gotta go to your house!"

"Nah."

"You know, your owner's gonna be relieved!"

"Will he?"

Max nods, tail still wagging.

"Yeah, but he-" I start. "He never came for me! Maybe...maybe he didn't like me."

_Fred will be here soon!_

_Yeah! He'll definitely pick me up!_

_...he's gotta..._

"Hey, of course he liked you, he was your owner! I mean, he's probably worried sick!"

"I don't know..."

"Well, I do know, and we're going." Max says, determined.

I look at him in disbelief.

"Your owner's gonna freak! Hey, I'm freaking out just thinking about it!" He tells me, hopping around.

"Okay... Let's do it!" I say.

I'm coming home, Fred!


	2. Max

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max takes Duke to his owner's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Similarly to chapter 1, this is a few scenes from the movie in Max POV, with his thoughts added in.

I can't believe Duke had to go through that...and look at how I treated him!

"Duke! We gotta go to your house!" I tell him.

I have to make it up to him!

"Nah."

What? Why doesn't he want to go?

"You know, your owner's gonna be relieved!"

"Will he?" Duke replies.

I nod ecstatically.

Why wouldn't he?

"Yeah, but he...he never came for me! Maybe...maybe he didn't like me."

Why would you think that!?

"Hey, of course he liked you, he was your owner!" I bark. "I mean, he's probably worried sick!"

Duke doesn't look like he believes me!

But why?

Maybe I need to pump him up a little!

I begin to jump around.

"Your owner's gonna freak! Hey, I'm freaking out just thinking about it!"

If this doesn't work... I don't know what will...

"Okay..." He tells me, getting up. "Let's do it!"

Suddenly, the door behind us bursts open.

"There they are!" One of the animal control officers yells.

"Come on, doggy! Come on!" The other says, moving slowly towards us.

We quickly run towards the door.

"Hey hey hey hey hey!"

"Where you think you're going! Get back here, dogs!"

Duke bumps into a stack of boxes, knocking them onto the officers.

We sprint through a few more alleyways before finally slowing down.

"Alright, Duke. Where's this house of yours?"

"I think it's this way..."

"You think? Just lead the way."

Oh man! This'll be so great!

Duke's gonna be so happy!

Maybe he'll even forgive me for everything I did...

I was so horrible to him...

This whole adventure wouldn't have even happened if I had just accepted him...

And even if he doesn't forgive me, I at least tried...

"Okay, so, how do I look?" Duke asks out of the blue.

"You look great." I tell him truthfully.

"How do I smell?" 

"...like a dog, Duke. Relax, man."

"There it is!" Duke sighs in awe.

Here we go!

"Well, go on up." I tell him. "Go scratch at that door."

He begins his trek to the door, but stops after a few steps.

"Remember the sausage factory?" He asks. "That was fun, huh?"

"Are you stalling?" I ask, unimpressed.

"Uh, no, why do you think that? Let's have a long talk about why you think I'm stalling."

"Duke, you have nothing to be nervous about, your owner's gonna be thrilled to see you." I inform him.

Come on, Duke! You're makin' this harder than it has to be!

"...okay." he responds after a short silence.

He continues his movement towards the door.

I follow, making sure to stay behind.

"Oh!" Duke comments. "The car is new..."

Suddenly, a cat pops out of a lot and hisses at us.

Duke jumps back after a short yelp.

"Can I help you?" The cat asks, bored.

"No, we're good..." Duke replies. "Thanks."

"You're not good. You look dirty. So, I'm gonna have to ask you to get off my lawn before I get, uh, you know. What you have."

Wait... Duke never said anything about a cat...

This can't be good...

"This is my lawn!" Duke growls.

"Duke, maybe we should go!" I tell him.

"Why? Why would Fred get a cat?" Duke asks, disgusted. "He hates cats! One of the things I love about him..."

"Fred? The old guy? He, um..." The cat pauses for a moment. "He died."

Oh no...

This won't end well...

"Duke... Maybe I made a mistake saying we should come here. Let's just go." I try to reason with him.

Duke doesn't look very happy...

"You're a liar!" Duke growls. "Max, cats lie all the time!"

The cat hisses again as Duke approaches.

"I won't fall for it!" He finishes.

All of a sudden, another car pulls in to the driveway. A young family sits within.

"Who are they!?" Duke asks, suspiciously.

As the family exits the car, Duke barks at them.

This isn't good, this isn't good!

"Hey! This is my home! Go away!" He orders.

They quickly hop back in the car, and the man begins to dial a number on his phone.

I gotta get us outta here!

"Duke!" I try to tell him. "It's time to go!"

He continues barking at the car.

"Duke, let's go! Come on! This isn't your home anymore!" I yelp.

"Why did you bring me here, Max!?" He turns around, growling at me.

"Wait a minute... This is my fault!?" I ask, shocked. "You know, I was trying to help you!"

"You were trying to get rid of me!" He barks.

Ouch.

I can't believe I actually thought I liked him.

"You know what, Duke? I don't need this. I'll...see you later." I walk off.

Suddenly, I feel something tight around my neck.

I struggle against it, but I can't manage to slip out!

"Whoa there, come on, settle down, settle down." The officer tells me.

Suddenly, he is tackled by Duke.

I shake my head out of the loop to find the officer on top of Duke.

"Go home, Max!" Duke tells me.

I sprint off behind some trash cans.

I hear the officers tell him things like: "this is the end for you."

The truck drives off.

This is all my fault.

I need to fix this.

I need to save him!

I quickly begin to chase the truck.

I can do it!

I have to!

For Duke!

"Duke!" I bark.

I've gotta keep up with that truck!

I hop on a few cars to keep it in my eyesight.

I suddenly hear a demented scream.

I look behind me to find Snowball and his goons chasing me.

"Oh, are you kidding me!?" I yelp.

"You thought this was over, Tiny Dog?" The bunny yells from behind me.

I manage to hop onto the truck, only for it to screech to a stop.

Snowball quickly pounces on me, knocking us under a car as his friends crash into the truck.

He continues to hit me, but I don't feel a thing...

"Would you get off me?"

He stops as he sees his friends picked up.

"Tattoo!" He yelps.

We rush back out to the middle of the road, but the truck is already gone.

"Aw, no no no no no no no." Snowball mutters.

There are a few moments of silence.

"Oh, TD." He starts, sounding angry. "This pains me to say, but we gotta join forces, man!"

Upon saying this he grins and claps.

I guess I have to to save Duke...

"Okay, what's the plan?" I ask.

"We gonna hijack a bus!"

"Of course we are." I sigh.

I'm coming, Duke.

And I'm gonna bring you home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be my longest chapter ever...


End file.
